KET

News release

The next episode of KET’s Kentucky Life spotlights songwriter and Johnson County native Jim Ford, Bullitt County’s Second Chances Wildlife Center, the start of Little League season in Kentucky and Danville artist Sheldon Tapley. The episode airs Saturday, May 4, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 5, at 4 p.m. on KET; and Monday, May 6, at 7 p.m. on KET2.

First, Kentucky Life explores the career of musician and songwriter Jim Ford (1941-2007), a native of Johnson County. A creator of music that’s been described as a blend of soul, country and folk, Ford’s songs have been recorded by the likes of Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Tanya Tucker and Sly and the Family Stone. He recorded just one studio album during his lifetime – Harlan County, released in 1969 – but a new generation of musicians is discovering his talent, thanks to two posthumous recordings of his work, released in 2009.

Next, Kentucky Life travels to Mt. Washington, home to Second Chances Wildlife Center, which was featured on two seasons of National Geographic Channel’s Bandit Patrol series. Director and licensed wildlife rehabilitator Brigette Brouillard shares how the Bullitt County facility helps care for more than 100 injured, displaced or orphaned animals each year.

Then, the program shares the sights and sounds of the opening of Little League season in Kentucky – a time that’s especially cherished for host and former MLB player Doug Flynn, who spent his youth on the ballfield.

Finally, Kentucky Life spotlights Danville artist Sheldon Tapley, who has taught art at Centre College since 1983. Born in Venezuela to British parents, Tapley was raised in Europe and North America, but came to Kentucky to accept the Centre teaching position — not knowing at the time that the landscapes of Kentucky would come to form the foundation of his life’s work. As a painter specializing in both landscapes and still lifes, Tapley has quietly established himself as a nationally recognized master of both forms.